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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. face — to confront
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — final
  14. charge — a price
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — in control
  18. last — to go on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. march — music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rest — what's left
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com